Chapter 5

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Chapter 5

This hand was very similar to the back of my beautiful hand, which I strived to protect while I was wielding a sword. I lost my nails several times while refining my swordsmanship, but that was why I did my best to take care of it each time. The hand was nothing less than my pride and symbol of mine.

There was no way I could not recognize my hand.

It was clear that I was having such a vain dream because I heard that Kylian had taken my body.

“Bring His Majesty!”

“Hurry!”

“…She is awake!”

What are all these odd dreams?

If it’s a dream, let me wake up soon! It hurts so much!

I want to take back the mention that it was like being beaten all over the body. It hurt as if trying to do something with all the bones in my body broken. Even the bones seemed to be screaming, but it was more frightening because I could not move.

It was similar to feeling the pain of being paralyzed. It was said that when you’re paralyzed and trying to move, the bone’s distal end would release gradually. So I tried to bend my hand.

But it was only for a while that I was happy to see my pretty hands after a long time. As much as I could, I tried to move them again as if I was hypnotizing them to move, but it was to no avail.

Am I dreaming while under a coma?

Then I saw a man with black hair approaching from afar. But I could not see his face properly.

Above all else, it was very dark here. There was only a very small amount of light because only the candles were shining. It was so dark that I couldn’t even read letters properly. In the darkness, everyone’s eyes were twinkling red.

But the eyes of the man walking towards me were not red.

That.

Sophisticated and beautiful, like melting gold. Golden eyes shining like the sun alone in this darkness.

“Huh?”

At that moment, I woke up from my dream.

“What is that… dream… ah…”

For some reason, I was sure I had just woken up from the dream, but the pain was the same. Maybe it was because of the feeling that I had such a strange dream.

I could see the translucent stained glass visible on the ceiling. Darkened leaves were moving gently beyond the black window frames. I took a deep breath and went to find stability, and there was a strange smell of grass.

I blinked, trying to minimize the pain I felt in my body.

It’s like body aches, but worse. It was truly as painful as the bones breaking all over my body.

It’s nothing like a body ache. Maybe it’s because it’s not my body?

If I don’t concentrate, the pain in my eyes, and the welling tears, and the fever rising was really similar to when I felt like you couldn’t breathe because of body aches.

“Hoo… Haa… Hoo…”

I took a few breaths and exhaled, and the pain gradually eased. The tears that ran down the bridge of my nose were cold. It was annoying as it went down the opposite eye, as if a foreign object had entered the eye, but my body did not move.

My body couldn’t move. I didn’t want to call him whenever possible, but I was scared.

“Lewarren!”

He will be in a nearby room. He sent me into the room as if he believed me, but I was never someone to trust easily. I was more likely to run away, so it was clear he wouldn’t just leave me alone.

“Lewarren! Help me!”

Proving my prediction correct, his loud footsteps were coming closer.

“What’s going on?”

I didn’t expect him to knock, the door opened right away with a ‘click’.

The problem was this.

“Huh?”

“…….”

As soon as I saw Lewarren, I was able to move my body.

“Haha… Why can I move all of a sudden?”

“…….”

He had obviously been sleeping until just now. His light brown hair was completely messed up.

Born as a thief, he had a great admiration for the noble society, so it was rare to see him so disorganized. Maybe it was because of the difficult times, he was still a person who kept his dignity very thoroughly, at least on the surface.

Then he came running in a nightgown, with his hair scattered, and dragging his slippers.

Because of me.

Now.

I’m screwed.

“…….”

“No, my body really didn’t move! I’m not kidding this time! And I cried because my limbs, my shoulders, and my body were all in pain! Look at this! It’s real. I am not lying!”

At this rate, I think I would die again without being able to see Kylian again.

“…….”

The tension in my back, which had been half-stretched trying to get up, was relieved and I lay flat on the bed, and Lewarren approached me. I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling like I was trying to get them squeezed, and I opened my eyes to something pressing on my forehead.

“It’s a side effect.”

“Huh?”

“Maybe it will be like this for a while.”

“What?”

He was taking the temperature on my forehead, but I was a little scared because I had never seen such kindness from him before. What really happened while I wasn’t there to make Lewarren like this?

“It’s because it’s not your body. Does it still hurt?”

He let the divine power flow through my forehead, and I felt my body getting warmer. Priests could share divine power with each other. Even if the gods we worship were different, we were able to accommodate each other’s divine power like this. My divine power was nonexistent right now, but Lilith was a saint in the temple of goddess Julias.

“I’m okay now.”

“Then that’s good.”

Lewarren sighed heavily and lifted his hand from my forehead.

Both of us remained silent, and then a crowing of grasshoppers was heard. I suddenly remembered Kylian’s extreme hatred of bugs, and smiled, but Lewarren’s expression was changing to a stern look as if he had come to his senses.

“But is that a rabbit picture in the nightgown?”

“…….”

“You’re like a bear but you’re wearing a rabbit pattern. It really doesn’t suit you.”

He smiled twistedly, unraveling his harsh expression, and said,

“Go to sleep.”

“Wait a minute.”

“What?”

“What if I fall asleep again and wake up unable to move?”

“Then shout. I’m next door anyway.”

“…Yes.”

“…….”

It looked like Lewarren was about to leave, so words came out unknowingly.

“Lewarren.”

“…….”

“Can’t you just stay by my side until I fall asleep?”

He sighed again and flopped down on the floor near the bed.

“Then go to sleep.”

“Thank you.”

Maybe it was because of the dream I had earlier, I couldn’t sleep well. My heart raced as if I had seen something I shouldn’t have seen. Even though I was in pain and anxious, I couldn’t sleep.

By the next day, neither Lewarren nor I had a good night’s sleep, so our eyes were empty. I was supposed to wear something other than a priest’s uniform, but luckily he handed me a normal outfit, so I took it.

Lewarren went away for a while to dye his hair, and I stood in front of the mirror to change the clothes by myself.

It was the second time I saw Lilith’s body properly.

Looking in the mirror properly, the blue hair didn’t look that bad. However, it was such a pigmented blue hue that the warm light from above could not melt away the coldness of that tint.

However, the innocent beauty, big eyes, and bright purple eyes that I had always envied were still beautiful.

It was also true that every time Lewarren joked that we were alike through his pranks, it actually felt good.

However, unlike me, Lilith had a soft personality and was a person who drew attention.

“Your hands are wrinkled.”

I suddenly saw her hand, and maybe it was because I had seen my hand in my dream, and Lilith’s rough hand caught my eye. It must be because she suffered a lot from being sold as a slave since childhood.

“Not yet?”

“Have you finished with the hair dye already?”

“I only need to cast a spell, do you think it’ll take a long time?”

“That makes sense.”

I answered his question, then I went to change into the clothes he had handed me. It was a dress with a simpler design than expected. A white blouse and a blue skirt. Maybe it’s because of the hair color, though.

It wasn’t bad when I tried it on.

When the door opened with a click sound, there was Lewarren, with his sky blue hair and black eyes, standing there with a face barely holding back his anger.

“PFFFFT…!”

“…….”

“HAHAHAHAHA!”

“…….”

“WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS!”

“…….”

The hair color was more terrifying than expected. As I laughed that my head got dizzy, he looked at me pathetically. I thought he would be angry, but he was calmer than I thought, so I got uneasy.

“Done laughing?”

“Hmm, no…”

I laughed so much that my ribs hurt. He smiled again, but it was full of malice. Whenever he smiled like that, I just knew he’s concocting some plan.

“Let’s just go.”

“What about Zisis?”

“I can’t go, Lady Anais.”

“Ah…”

For a moment, the mention that Kylian turned all the temples into enemies came to mind. With Lilith and Lewarren as the only exceptions, Zisis would be safer hiding here.

“Lady Anais.”

“Tes.”

“I will be waiting for you.”

“Wait for Lilith, not me.”

“…….”

Zisis was someone who’s a crier. I wondered if he was crying for Lewarren’s share because he couldn’t cry. Zisis was whimpering just before crying again, but if we were together, I would cry too, so I decided to move away quickly.

“Let’s go, Lewarren.”

“Let’s meet again!”

“Take care.”

Fortunately, there was a warp going to the village, so we were able to move to a nearby village quickly.

“Anais.”

“Yes?”

“Before we go, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy as Lewarren dropped a weight at the entrance to the village.

“It’s only a minute to get to the capital. Before that, I have something to say.”

“Yes.”

“You will have to… ready your mind.”

“You said he’s gone crazy.”

“…Yes.”

“How bad is it?”

He came as far as a stone’s throw to my head and licked his lips with an uncomfortable look. Then he took a deep breath and said,

“For now, let me tell you this one thing.”

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